‘We must help those in need’ – Saraiva (BRA)

Pentathlete Stephany Saraiva of Brazil, winner of a Fair Play Award from the International Committee of Fair Play in 2016, has given a moving interview about her life in lockdown and the hardship people are facing as a result of the COVID-19 Coronavirus in her home country.

Saraiva (BRA), 25, bronze medallist at the 2019 South American Championships in Buenos Aires (ARG), received her award in 2016 for an exemplary act of sportsmanship during a Fencing bout in the Mixed Relay at the 2016 South American Championships in the same city.

Here is the interview published in the Fair Play Newsletter June 2020.

Q: How did your days go during the COVID-19 situation? What did you do on weekdays? If you are an active athlete how did you keep yourself fit? What exercises did you do?

A: Hello my friends, I am fine thanks and I hope everybody is fine too. The last months have been very hard for everybody – for me as an athlete I needed to change all my training because clubs were closed. Everything about training I need to do at home, like Fencing, I needed to adapt.

I do exercises to simulate Swimming and for Running I woke up early because of the curfew and run out.

Q: Has there been a programme or campaign in your country that has helped people affected by COVID-19 pandemic? (e.g. shopping for seniors, handing out masks etc.) Did you attend on it?

A: Basically everything I’m doing at home, my classes for university, is online and we have no idea when will be back to normal. But the most important thing now is we help each other.

We have a lot of people needing, there are people with no money because they are not working, and these people need food and basically things to live. Here me and my family try always to help those in need, we must help.

Q: In the current situation have you experienced any kind of Fair Play acts?

A: In my opinion everyone that’s fighting against COVID-19 deserves a Fair Play prize because we are fighting for life.